Milking-machine.



J. H. HOOVER.

MILKING MACHINE.

nrmurnon rum) JAN. 2a. 1909.

929,764. Patented Au'g. 3,1909.

WITNESSES! //YVE/VTUI? I J/[Hoovez- 2?. 0/4 7; W 4 ,g fimaz 10 provements are these: -first, to

JOSEPH fi'l. HOOVER, 01* WAIERLOO, IOWA.

MILKING-MACHINE Specification Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application filed January 28, 1909. Serial No. 474,660.

To all whom it may concern: 'Be it known that I, Josnru ll. lloovun, n citizen of the United States of America, and a resident oi VVnterloo, lllackhnwk county, 5 Iowa, have invented certaii'i new and useful Improvements in ll'lilking-Machiires, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to lllll'JIOVG'mOlltS in milking machines, on the objects of my improvide means for producing a constant degree of vacuum in the tout-cups of a milking mechine, and second, to so adapt such means that the degree of vacuum may be varied at will, whereby two or more of such nurchines may be connected in series, with the degree of vacuum in the difl'erent machines varying from each other in amount as may be predetermined, to reuse them to be respec- 0 tively effective in milking cows which may difler in the amount of suction necessary to be applied to their tents in the milkin process. These objects I have accomplis ed by the means which are hereinafter fully de scribed and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which :v

Figurel ism. front elevation of two of my improved milking machines connected in series and as applied to the tents of cows in the process of milking. Fi 2 is an enlarged vertical central axial sec-tum of the valvechember and its immediate communicating connections, emkthe menus for (-(mtrolling .the action of the valve.

Similar numerals refer to similar throlwhout the several Views.

Eru 'h of my machines is adapted for the milkin of two cows, the tent-cups 26 and 27 parts 40 for sue 1 cows lending by means of short hoseeonnoctions 10 and 1 1 respectively to a common closed uir-cxhnustcd receptacle l2.

In the event that but one machine is used, the receptacle 12 is placed in communication with a horizontal pipe 7 by mcnns'of the intermodintc connections which consist of a, short hose-connection l), on inserted pipe 25 provided with u slop-cooler and e T- coupling 24. The horizontal ripe 7 is pieced l' 0 v s i m communu'ntion Wltll a, va ve-cluunber 2 by'mcnns'ol' an elbow 22, a pipe 7 containing n stop-cock (i, on elbow23, a short tube 42, u T-ooupling 3, end it short tube 41. A short tube 40 is in communicetion'et an orifice 17 with said valve-chamber, said tube entering an elbow 39 coupled to inpipe -1 leading to any suitable um for exhausting the air from said vc ve-cliumbcr end its connections to said teat-cups. A meter 13 in coinmunicetion with the wipe 7 may be used to indicate the degree oi air-exhaustion in the mucl'iine.

A collapsible chamber 21 is supported by and laced in communication with the T- coup ing 3 by a short tube 4.4. The chamber is formed with its upper solid head 43 affixed to the lower end of said tube 44, while its solid lower head 45 is connected with the said upper head by a. flexible collapsible jacket 4 to form an air-tight chamber A weight 5 is rovided with a hook 46 whereby it may be etachebl suspended from aU- bolt 20 secured to t e lower head 45 of the drum 21. Aspindle 19 has its lower end -secured to the center of the lower head of said drum, and passes upward through the com- The degree of exhaustion of air below the velveheed 18 is regulated by suspending a weight 5 of the desired gravity from the drum 21. If, for instance, the weight be ten pounds, the Wei ht will cause the valve-head 18 to drop unti the amount of vacuum in the machine exceeds that weight, when the suction overcomes the weight and the weight is drawn u collapsing the drum 21, and the valve-heed closes the inlet 17 As the vacuum decreases in the machine, and falls below ton ounds in amount, the gravity of the weig it acts upon the valve to open said inlet to the suction-pipe 1. By changing the weight for one of a different gravity, :1 desired change may be made in the amount of vacuim'rpressure in the mchine,

The valve and weight not automatically since the move quickly within very small limits to cop the the nniount desire I. I have shown in Fig. 1 my method of connocting n plurality of my said nmohines in series, whereby, when weights of different pressure at upproxiniiately gmvitics are suspended from. the valves ol'* the different nmehincs, they may be caused to not respectively at different pressures of vneuum n order to successfully unlk cows graded according to their several degrees oi difficulty in milking. In other words, this arrangement permits of milking a herd, members of which are sensitive to more than a 'certain small pressure, simultaneously- 6 with other members which must have a greater pressure of vacuum supplied. To

this, it is simply requisite to connect up a machine to the suction-pi )e 7 of the machine in advance, the secon machine being 10 the same in construction and operation as the first-mentioned machine, having a valve chamber 28, a colla )sible drum 29, but having a weight 14 0 lesser gravity than the weight 5 on the other machine. The suc- 15 tion-pipe 30 of the second machine is in cornmumcation by means of the T-cou ling 31, depending pipe 32, sto -valve 16, 1086 33, exlauste can 38 and exible tubes 35 and 36, with the teat-cups 34 and 37 res cctively of the second pair of cows. Anot er gage 15 may be supplied to the suction-pipe 30 to indicate the vacuum-pressure therein.

It is obvious that when the first weight 5 is of a gravity of say ten pounds, and the sec- 0nd weight 14 of a gravity of say six pounds, that the respective machines will operate to maintain the vacuum-pressure in their re- ,spective connected teat-cu s at ten and six pounds constantly. In t e same manner other machines may be connected up, to maintain the same or different pressures in the successive machines, whereby as many cows may be milked simultaneously as desired, notwithstanding the variations ill the amount of suction required to milk cows of diflerent degrees of sensitiveness and responsiveness to the action of the apparatus. The parts of the machine are simple, and easil separated for cleansing or for knockingown for-shipment. The use of a constant pressure in each machine also eflects an economy of time in milking, since the draft is constant, and no time is ca ing the pressure down to a minimum, as is the case with mhchines having pulsators in connection.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

' l. A milking machine, comprisin teat cups, a valve-chamber having an in et-port in communication with some suitable means for exhausting air therefrom, a valve-head mounted on a stem, the latter passin movably through a bee. ring-opening 1n sai chamber, a weight removably connected to the portion of said valve-stem which is without said chamber, and communicating connections between said valve-chamber and said teat-cups said valve-head being adapted to rise to, use the inlet-port tosaid valvechambgr when the degree of air-exh austion in said chamber is sullicicnt to overcome the resistance ca sed by the gravity of said weight. 2. A mi king machine, comprising teatt in vary-- her, the other cups, a valve-chamber having an inletport in communication with some suitable means for exhausting air therefrom, a valve-head mounted on a stem, a chamber in communication with said valve-cham'ber and havin upper and lower solid heads connected by co lapsible walls, one of said heads bein secured fixedly to said valve-chamber, the ot or head being movable, said valve-stem passing through said valve-chamber and said collapsibis chamber and being secured to the raw able head of the latter to move therewith, a weight removably sus ended from the movable head of said col apsible chamber, and communicating connections between said valve-chamber and said teat-cups, said walls of the collapsible chamber being adapted to collapse and draw'up said weight and cause the valve-head to rise and close the inlet-port in said valve-chamber when the de- 35 gree of exhaustion of air produced in the a paratus becomes suflicient to overcome t in resistance caused by the gravity of said weight.

3. A milking machine, comprising a valvechamber having an inlet-port in communication with some suitable means for exhausting the air from said chamber, a valve in said chamber adapted to move to close said port,

a removable weight outside of said chamber connected to said valve by means movable through a bearingmpening in the chamber, a

second valve-cham or having an inletort,

means of com iunication between the rstmentioned va e-chamber and the inlet-port in the second-mentioned valve-chamber, .a valve in the second-mentioned valve-chamber adapted to move to close the inlet-port therein, a removable weight of less heaviness than the first-mentioned weight located outside of said second-mentioned valve-chain ber connected to the valve therein by means movable through a bearing-opening in the chamber, and a plurality of teat-cups located near to each of said valve-chambers and in no communication therewith.

4. A milking machine, comprising a valvechamber having an inlet-port in communication with some suitable means for cxhaustin' the air from said chamber, a valve in, sail chamber adapted to close said port, said valve having 0. depending stem a chamber in communication with said valve-chamber and having u per and lower solid heads connected by col apsible walls, one of said heads being fixedly sup orted by said valve-chamead belng movable, said valve-stem (passing throu h said valvechamber an said collapsib e chamber and being secured to the movable head of the latter to move therewith, a we' ht removabl suspended from the move e head of said collapsible chamber, said walls of said collapsible ehamber'being ada ted to collapse and draw up said movable ead and its attached weight and cause said valve to close said inlet-port when the degree of exhaustion of air in the apparatus exceeds the tension upon the valve produced by the gravity of the weight, a second valve-chamber having an inlet-port, means of communication between the first-mentioned valve-chamber and the inlet-port in said second-meritioned valve-chamber, a valve in said second-mentioned valve-chamber adapted to close its said inlet-port, said valve having a depending stem, a chamber in communication with said valve-chamber and having u iper and lower solid heads connected by collapsible walls, one of said heads being fixedly supported by said valve-chamber, the other head being movable, said valve-stem passing through said valve-chamber and said collapsible chamber and being secured to the movable head of the latter to move therewith, a weight of-lesscr gravity than the lirst-men- -tioned weight on the lirst-i'ncntioned collapsible chamber removably suspended from the movable head of said secoml-mentioncd collapsible chamber being adapted to collapse and draw up said movable head and. its attached weight and cause said valve to close its adjacent inlet-poit when the degree of exhaustion of air in the seconrl-mentioned valve-chamber exceeds the tension upon its valve produced by the gravity of the a t-,

,with some suitable means for exhausting the air from. the chamber, a valve movable in said chamber to close said port, a plurality of similar valve-chamber-s provided with inletports and similar valves adapted tomovc to close the ports, each of said plurality ol valve-chambers being in serial communication with all the others, by means of their said inlet iorts, a stem on each valve adapted to worl c through the wall of its incloslng chamber, a weight removably suspended l'roni each valve-stem without its chamber, the weight supported by the lll'Hl-llltllllulltll valve being heaviest, and the weights sus- -valve-stem passing pended form the other succeeding valves in progression being respectively lighter than the first-mentioned weight and than each other, and teat-cups in inde )endent com munication with each of saic valve-chambers.

(1. A milking machine, comprising a valvechamber havim a po'rt in communication with some suita 'ile means for exhaustin the air from the chamber, a valve movab e in said chamber to close said port and provided with a depending stem, a chamber in communication with said valve-chamber and having upper and lower solid heads connected by collapsible walls, one of said heads being fixedly sup )orted by said valvechamber, the other head bein movable, said throu i said valvechamber am said collapsib lc chamber and being secured to the movable head of the latter to move therewith, a weight remov ably suspended from the movable head of' said collapsible chamber said walls of said collapsible chamber being adapted to collapse and draw up said movable head and its attached weight and cause said valve to close said port when the degree of exhaustion of air in the valve-chainber exceeds the tension upon its valve produced bv the gravity of the weight, a pluralitv of similar valve-chambers provided with i11lct-ports and similar valves adapted to move to close the )orts, each of said plurality of valve-chambers bein in serial ccnimunication with all of the ot mm by means of their said inlct ports, a depending stem on each valv'e, connected to the movable head of a similar collapsible chamber, a weight removably suspended from the movable head of each collapsible chamber the weight supported by the first-mentioned valve being the heaviest, and the weights suspended from the other valves when different from each other and from the first,

being of less gravity in ranging away from the l1rst-mcntioned wvcight or a jacent wei hts in advance, and teat-cups independently said valve-clnunbers.

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa,

Jan, 190$). JOSEPH ll. HOOVER.

this 11th day of Witnesses:

U. l). i ()ING, (i. hasuanr.

placed in communication with each of 

